Machine for filling molding flasks



Mai 19, 1931. CARTER 1,806,042

MACHINE FOR FILLING MOLDING FLASKS Filed Oct. 51. 1 29 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' NVENT'OR bne/ H rfer.

Ma 19, 1931. A. CARTER 1,806,042

MACHINE FOR FILLING MOLDING FLASKS Filed Oct. 31, 1929 2 sheets -shee 2 1 III A. N l E/V TOR l/o ne/ A. Car/er.

fi TTORNE Y5 Patented May 19, 1931 p LIONEL A. CARTER, CF WEBSTER GROVES, IEISSOURI MACHINE FOR FILLING MOLDING FLASKS Application filed October 31, 1929.

This invention relates to apparatus of the type that are used for packing granular material in a receiving receptacle, such, for example, as apparatus of the kind commonly referred to as Flask charging apparatus, which have provision for projecting sand or other molding material into a flask or mold in such a Way that the sand will be packedor rammed tightly in the flask.

One object of my invention is to provide a flask charging or similar apparatus of sim-. ple design and inexpensive construction, that has provision for projecting slugs of sand of approximately determined quantities into a receiving receptacle at a sutliciently high speed or velocity toinsure the sand being packed firmly, and which is of such design that the discharge opening through which the sand or other material is projected may be arranged in closeproximity to the receiving receptacle that is being filled.

Another object is to provide a flask charging or similar apparatus that iscompact, easy to control and'operate, and of such design that slugs of the granular material being handled in the apparatus Will be projected through the discharge opening of same at a sufficiently uniform speed or velocity to produce a rammed or compacted mass of material in the receiving receptacle that is of substantially uniform density throughout its entire area. 7

And still another object is to provide a flaskcharging or similar apparatus in which the feeding of the sand from the source of supply to the discharge opening of the ap:

paratus and the momentum that is imparted to the sand to compact it or ram it into the receiving receptacle, is obtained by impart ing a rapid vibratory motion to a hinged or pivotally mounted tubular member having a discharge opening disposed substantially opposite to the receptacle that is being filled.

While I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in an apparatus of the, type that is commonly referred to as a flask charging apparatus, I Wish it to be understood that my invention is applicable to any ap- Serial No. 403,826.

paratus that is used for packing granular material in a receiving receptacle. The part or member of the apparatus Which I herein refer to as the said projector may be constructed and mounted in various Ways, and various means may be used to actuate said member. Preferably, the sand projector consists of a rockable member that is hinged, pivoted or mounted in such a manner that it is capable of vibrating, and means is provided for oscillating or vibrating said member, such, for example, as an actuating mechanism operated by amedium under pressure, or an electrically-operated actuating mechamsm, or a mechanically operated actuating mechanism. The granular material being handled in the apparatus travels through a passagewayinsaid rockablememberthathas a discharge opening located at a point remote from the axis of movement of said member, and in order that the granular material will be projected through said discharge opening in the form of slugs, baffles or similar obstructions are arranged in said passageway so as to produce a passageway that is tortuous or of substantially zig-zag form. Any suitable means can be used for supplying or introducing the granular material into the receiving end of the passageway in the rockable' member, the means that is preferably used for this purpose consisting ofa hopper disposed so that the granular material Will pass from same into said passageway by gravity. For the sake of brevity I Will herein refer to the granular material handled in the apparatus as sand, but, as previously stated, my in vention is not limited or restricted to an ap paratus that is intended to beiised for charg ing sand into a flask or mold.

Figure. 1 of the drawings is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of a flask charg ing apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan vievv of said apparatus.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational 1 View of the operating mechanism for the rockable member from which the slugs of sand are discharged into the flask.

Figure A is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of said operating mechanism.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of an electrically-operated actuating mechanism that may be used for the rockable member.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section, illustrating a mechanically-operated actuating mechanism that can be used for the rockable member; and

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the operating mechanism shown in Figure 6.

In the accompanying drawings, A designates the sand projector of the apparatus, which consists of a rockable'tubular mem ber, herein illustrated as being disposed substantially horizontally and hinged, pivoted or rockably mounted at one end, as, -tor example, by means oif a horizontally-disposed shaft 1 rigidly attached to one end of the member A and journaled in bearings 2 mounted on a supporting structure 3. The member A is provided with a passageway through which the sand travels from a point or" supply to a discharge opening A that is disposed substantially opposite to the flask or other receptacle 5 that is being filled. In the apparatus herein shown the free end portion of the member A'is arranged above the flask 5, and the discharge opening 4 of said member is disposed so that the sand will be projected downwardly through said discharge opening 4 directly into the flask 5, which may be positioned in close proximity to the discharge opening of the member A.

The sand is delivered to the opposite end or receiving end of the passageway 95 in the member A from a source of supply, which may consist of a hopper 6 provided with a flexible extension or lower end portion 7 that is attached to the receiving end of the member A, the upper portion 6 of the hopper being stationarily mounted, and the flexible lower end portion 7 of the hopper constituting a flexible connection between the hopper 6 and the member A which provides for the vibratory movement or rocking movement of the member A. Obviously, various other means could be used for supplying or delivering the sand to the receiving end of the rockable member A.

As previously stated, the passageway a: of the member A is provided with baiiies or obstructions so as to interrupt the continuity of flow of the sand through said passageway and cause the sand to be projected through the discharge opening 4 in the form ofslugs. It is immaterial, so far as my invention is concerned, how these bafiies or obstructions are formed, or produced to approximately regulate theamount of sand discharged at each cycle of operations of the apparatus. In the apparatus herein shown the member A isprovided intermediate its receiving end and discharge end with a zigzag-shaped portion which forms in effect alternately ar- .A through which the sand travels.

ranged baffles or obstructing surfaces 7 and 8 on the bottom and top Walls of the passageway m that cause the sand to be separated or divided into slugs before reaching the discharge opening 4 and to be projected downwardly through the discharge opening 4 of the member A in the form of separate batches or masses that have been partly compressed or compacted by engagement with the walls of the tortuous passageway in the member Won the apparatus is in operation the free end of the member A vibrates in a vertical path, with the result that the sand will be fed longitudinally through said member and discharged downwardly through the discharge opening 4 of same at a sufiiciently high speed or velocity to insure the sand being packed or rammed tightly into the flask 5. Assuming that the member A is vibrated or operated at a constant speed, the slugs of sand will be discharged or projected downwardly into the flask at a substantially uniform velocity, thereby insuring a mass of compressed or packed sand in the flask that is of uniform density throughout its entire area. Various types and kinds of actuating mechanisms can be used to operate a sand projector A of the construction and arrangement above described; very little power is required to operate the same, and still another highly desirable characteristic of such a sand projector is that it may be arranged in close proximity to the receptacle 5 that is being filled.

In order to make it clear that my invention is not limited to any particular type or kind of operating mechanism for actuating the rockable member A that constitutes the sand projector of the apparatus, I have illustrated three different forms of operating mechanisms. In Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the operating mechanism is of the pneumatic type, or of the type in which an expansible medium under pressure is used to impart movement to a piston B that oscillates in a cylinder O. As shown in Figure 4, the piston B is of arcuate shape in outline and is keyed or otherwise rigidly connected to the rock shaft 1 which carries the sand projector A. The cylinder C is of segmental form and is stationarily mounted on a supporting structure, said cylinderbeing located at one side of the sand projector A, as shown in Figure 2. Two inlet valves 9 and 9* located at opposite sides of the axis of movement of the piston B are provided for governing the admission of the operating medium to the cylinder C, and two exhaust valves 10 and 10*, located at opposite sides of the axis of movement of the piston, are provided for governing the escape of the operating medium from the cylinder C. Said inlet and ex haust valvesare of the oscillating type and are combined with valve mechanisms which are controlled by devices actuated by the shaft 1, the valve mechanisms being so designed that when the apparatus is in operation, the inlet and exhaust valves will open and close automatically in such a way as to cause the piston B to rock back and forth in its cylinder, and thus impart a rapid vibratory movement to the sand projector A in a direction to move the free end portion of same in a vertical path, with the result that the sand will be fed longitudinally through the member A and be projected through the discharge opening 4 of same in the form of slugs that enter the flask 5 under a sufficiently high speed or velocity to insure the sand being rammed or packed tightly into the flask. I

As shown in Figure 3, the stem of the inlet valve 9 has attached to same an actuating device 11 provided with two spaced arms 12 and 13 that co-operate with a cam 14 that is rigidly fastened to the shaft 1. The stem of the inlet valve 9 is provided with a similar operating device 11 equipped with arms 12 and 13 that co-operate with a cam 1 1 rigidly attached to the shaft 1. The controlling or operating mechanism for the exhaust valves and 10 comprises a link 15 pivotally connected at its ends to arms 16 and 16 attached to the stems of the valves 10 and 10 respectively, and provided intermediate its ends with an upwardly-projecting arm 17 that is positioned in an elongated slot 18 formed in a hub, sleeve or similar part 19 that is rigidly connected to the shaft 1.

When the valves occupy the position shown in Figure 4 the operating medium enters the right hand end of the cylinder C from a supply pipe 20 and causes the piston B to rock to the left, thereby expelling from the cylinder (3, past thevalve 10 the charge of operating medium which impart-ed movement to the piston in the preceding cycle of operations, it, of course, being understood I that the exhaust valve 10 remains closed and the inlet valve 9 remains closed during the left hand stroke of the piston B. The rocking movement imparted to the shaft 1 during this stroke of the piston B effects a change in the position of the valves, with the result that the operating medium will be admitted to the left hand end of the cylinder C from the supply pipe 20*, thereby causing the piston B to swing to the right. So long as the supply of the operating medium to the pipes 20 and 20 is continued, the piston B will rock back and forth in its cylinder, and

thus rock or vibrate the sand projector A, as previously described. It will, of course, be understood that any suitable type or kind of valve mechanism may beused to govern the admission and exhaust of the operating medium to and from the cylinder C, but I have found that a valve mechanism of the construction above described is inexpensive to construct and is reliable in operation. It also permits the exhaust ports controlled by the valves 10 and 10 to be arranged'in such relationship with the ends of the cylinder 0 that during the stroke of the piston Bin either direction a portion of the operating medium that is being expelled from the cylinder will become trapped between the piston and the opposed end wall of the cylinder, and thus form in effect a cushion that prevents the piston from striking directly against the end wall of the cylinder. In other words, when the piston B swings to the left, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, said piston closes the port through which the operating medium is escaping from the left hand end of the cylinder before the inlet valve 9 opens to admit the operating medium to the left hand end of the cylinder, thereby causing the operating medium which has failed to escape from the left hand cylinder to serve as a cushion that prevents the piston from striking against theleft hand end wall of the cylinder C. Likewise, when the piston B rocks to the right, the piston closes the exhaust port controlled by the ex haust valve 10 before the inlet valve 9 opens to admit the operating medium to the right hand end of the cylinder.

In Figure 5 of the drawing I have illustrated an operating medium for actuating the sand projector A which consists of two solenoids D and D arranged in opposed 'relationship and having their cores joined together and operatively connected with an arm 21 that is keyed or otherwise rigidly attached to the rock shaft 1 which carries the member A. When the solenoid D is energized the member A will rock in one direction, and when the solenoid D is energized, said member will rock in the opposite direction. 7

In Figures 6 and 71 have illustrated a mechanically-operated mechanism for actuating the sand projector A, consisting of a driving belt E that surrounds a pulley which is attached to a rotatableshaft 22, provided with an arm 23 that is equipped with a slide block 2 1 which travels in a straight guideway 25 formed in an arm 26 that is attached to the rear end portion of the member A, the rotary movement of the shaft 22 causing the member A to vibrate or rock upwardly and downwardly on its axis of movement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for packing granular material in a receiving receptacle, consisting of a rockable member provided with a passageway through which the granular material travels, a discharge opening leading from said passageway and disposed substantially opposite to the receptacle being filled, means for vibrating said member, and means for causing the granular material traveling through said member to be projectedthrough said discharge opening in the form of slugs of approximately determined quantities.

2. An apparatus for packing granular material in a receiving receptacle, consisting of a rockable member provided with a passageway through which the granular material travels, said passageway having a discharge opening located at a point remote from the axis of movement of said member and disposed so that the material escaping through said opening will be projected directly towards the receptacle being filled, means for imparting a rapid Vibratory motion to said member, and means for causing the material traveling through said member to be divided or separated into slugs before being ejected.

3. An apparatus for packing granular material in a receiving receptacle, consisting of a substantially horizontally-disposed tubular member through which the granular material is adapted to travel, a discharge opening in said member disposed so that the material escaping from same will be projected clownwardly into the receptacle being filled, means for rocking, oscillating or vibrating said member, and baffles or obstructions in said passageway for the purpose described.

4. An apparatus for packing granular material in a receiving receptacle, consisting of a substantially horizontally-disposed member provided with a substantially zig-zag shaped passageway through which the granular material travels, means for pivotally or rockably supporting said member, a discharge opening leading from said passageway, and means for imparting a vibratory motion to said member in a direction to project the granular material from same in a substantially straight line directly into the receptacle being filled.

5. An apparatus for packing granular material in a receiving receptacle, consisting of a rockable or pivotally mounted member provided with a tortuous passageway through which the granular material travels, a discharge opening from said passageway disposed substantially opposite to the receptacle being filled, means for supplying or deliver ing the granular material to said passageway, and means for rocking or vibrating said member.

6. A flask charging apparatus provided with a sand projector having a discharge opening located directly above and in close proximity to the flask being filled, and means for imparting a vertical vibrating motion to said projector to cause the sand to be projected through said discharge opening and into the flask at a speed or velocity tending to pack or ram the sand in the flask.

7. 'A flask charging apparatus, comprising a substantially horizontally-disposed tubular member pivotally mounted at one end and sand from said hopper, means for pivotally.

or rockably supporting one end of said member so as to permit the opposite end of said member to swing in a vertical plane, a discharge opening in the free end of said member disposed so that the sand ejected from said iember will be projected downwardly, a zigzag-shaped portion on said member arranged intermediate said discharge opening and the point at which the sand is supplied to said member, and means for vibrating said member.

9. A. flask charging apparatus, consisting of a substantially horizontally-disposed tubular member arranged so as to pivot or rock about an axis located adjacent one end of said member, a tortuous passageway in said member provided with a discharge opening, and

a means adapted to be operated by a medium under pressure for causing said member to rock, vibrate or swing in a direction to cause slugs of sand to be projected from said member in substantially straight lines into the flask beingfilled.

10. A flask charging apparatus, consisting of a long tubular member disposed substantially horizontally and provided intermediate its ends with a substantially zig-zag-shaped portion, a horizontally-disposed rock shaft attached to one end of said member, a discharge opening at the opposite end of said member, a hopper arranged so as to deliver sand by gravity to the pivoted end of said member, and means for actuating said rock shaft so as to impart a vibratory movement to said tubular member and cause slugs of sand to be discharged from same into the flask being filled.

11. A flask charging apparatus, comprising a stationary sand hopper, a substantially horizont'ally-disposed tubular member having one of its end portions hinged, pivoted or rockably mounted, a tortuous passageway in said member, a discharge opening at the free end of said member, a flexible portion at the lower end of said hopper attached to the receiving end of said tubular member, and means for vibrating said member.

LIONEL A. CARTER. 

